Traffic signal



Sgpt. s. 1925 1,553,046

P. A. KEEN I Lin T iijglgifx 3 Am I P414, 3 7 v Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

1 "STATES PHILLIP A. KEEN, or LosANGELns, CALIFORNIA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed February 26, 1924. Serial No'. 695,354.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILLIP A. KEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Traffic Signals, of which the'following is a specification.

My invention relates to traffic signals, and consists of thenovel features herein shown, described and claimed.

An object of' my invention is to make a traffic signaltobe installed at the center of a street intersection and to be operated by a traffic officer. 6

Another object of my invention is to make a traiiic signal to be rigidly mounted at a street intersection and having a bell in a circuit tobe controlled by a switch and having alamp to be used when desired.

Other objects'and advantages will appear from the drawings and specification.

The drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a traffic signal mounted for use in accordance with the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 isa'sectional elevation uponan enlarged scale of the traiiic signal shown in Fig. 1.

Fig; 3 is a liorizontal'sectional detail on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig.4 isa diagrammatic view of the electric circuits.

The details of my invention are as follows:

A box formingthebase 1 is square in plan and of considerable height and is adapted to be setsolid in the paving or road bed 2. The box has a bottom 3, sides 4, 5, 6 and 7, extending upwardly from the bottom, a downwardly swinging door 8 in the side 4, and a top 9.

A switch 10 is mounted upon the inner face of the side 7 opposite the door 8. A bell 11 is mounted upon the inner face of the side 5 and an induction transformer 12 is mounted alongside the bell. A hollow post 13 is inserted through the top 9, a flange 14: is screwed upon the post 13 to rest upon the top 9, and a reducer coupling 15 is screwed upon the lower end of the post to jam against the lower face of the top 9 and hold the post rigidly in position. A bushing 16 is screwed into the lower end of the coupling 15, a straight coupling 17 is screwed upon the hollow post and an extension hollow post 18 is screwed into the coupling 17 A horizontal slot 19 is formed at the center sion post 18 andis screwed into the end of the'T 22 opposite the tube 21.

A base 25 isscrewed upon the upper end of the tube-24c and rests upon the coupling Arms 26, 27, 28 and 29 are screwed into the base and extend radially, and the signal plates 30, 31, 32 and 33 are fixed upon the other ends of the arms 26, 27, 28 and 29. The base 25 hasa horizontal bottom and a vertical flange 25 into which the arms are screwed and a fitting 34 is mounted upon the flange 25 above the armsand forms'a chamber in which the lamp 36 is'mounte'd, and the fitting 34 carries four lenses 3?, one for each of the signalplates 31, 32, 33and 3 1, and a cap 38 closes the upper end of the chamber 39 in which the lampis operated.

An insulating plug- 10 is mounted in the nipple 23 and has two electric contactsel and 12 Ahead 43 of insulation carries a contact plate 14 and is slidingly mounted in the nipple 23't'o-nioveto and fromthe contacts 41 and 42 so as to make and break the electric circuit.-

cap 415 is screwed upon the outer end of the nipple 23, a push button stem 46 is fixed to the insulating plug 43 and slidingly mounted through the cap 45, an expansion spring fits around the stem A6 against the cap 45 and a button 48 on the end of the stem fits against the spring, the tension of the spring being exerted to hold the switch 19 open.

The switch 419 controls the induction circuit 50 which controls the bell 11. The main line comes from the generator 51 through a main line switch 52 to the line 53 through the transformer 12 to a grounder return 5-51, and the line is a branch of the line 53 and leads through the switch 10 through the lamp 36 to a ground or return 56, so that when the switches 52 and 10 are closed the lamp 36 will burn continuously and when the lamp is not required the switch 10 is opened.

The bell 11 is to ring spasmodically as manually operated by pushing the button l8 which opens and closes the switch 49. Of course when the bell is in operation the switch 52 must be closed. The nipple 23 and cap 45 carrying the push button 48 forms the handle assembly 57 and this handle is definitely arranged relative to the plates 80, 31, 82 and 33.

The Go -signals 58 and 59 are arranged upon the plates 31 and 33 directly opposite each other and the Stop signals 60 and 61 are arranged upon the plates and 32 directly opposite each other. hen the Stop signals close traflic on one street of the crossing or intersection the Go signals open the traflic on the other street, and vice versa, and these signals areshifted by'opcrating the handle 57 which extends through the slot 19 and operates the inner tube 24 carrying the signaling mechanism including the fitting 25. Moving the handle to one end of the slot opens one street to the traffic and closes the other, and moving the handle to the other end of the slot reverses this operation.

Thus I have produced a trafiic signal having a frame Work adapted to be mounted at a street intersection and having visible signals mounted on the frame and adapted to be manually shifted, a handle for operating the visible signals, an electric bell for audible signals, and a push button switch in the handle for operating the bell.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A traffic signal, comprising in combination a pedestal having a top forming a support, a post fixed to said top, a coupling connected to the post having a horizontal slot therein, a hollow extension post connected to the coupling, an inner tube within the post, a handle connected to the inner tube and extending through the slot in the coupling, a reducer coupling connected to the'upper end of the post extension and supporting a base member on the top there of, said base member being fixedly connected to the tube, four evenly spaced horizontal arms-connected to the base member and having signal plates secured to the ends thereof, a tubular fitting connected to the base member, a lamp socket supported by the base member, four lenses secured to the tubular fitting, a lamp secured to the socket and wiring for the lamp extending through the inner tube to the pedestal.

2. A traffic signal, comprising in combination a pedestal having a top plate, a post secured thereto by a flange on the upper side of the plate and a reducer coupling on the lower end of the plate, a bushing secured to the reducer coupling, a straight coupling secured to the post and having a horizontal slot in one side, an extension post secured to the coupling and having a reducer coupling at the upper end, an inner tube having a lower end resting on the said bushing, a T positioned inside the straight coupling, a nipple connected to the T and forming a handle extending through the slot in the straight coupling, an extension tube attached to the T and passing through the upper reducer coupling, a base member secured to the inner tube and having a hearing on the reducer coupling, four equally spaced arms secured to the base member, a socket attached to the base member and four lenses positioned above the base member to turn therewith and electric Wires from the socket through the inner tube and the bushing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PHILLIP A. KEEN. 

